The present invention relates to protective devices for posts, stakes, pegs, and the like, particularly for pegs and stakes which are driven to hold support ropes and guy lines for tents, canopies, dining flies, and other camping equipment, circus tents, awnings, funeral canopies and other temporarily erected structures which are held in place by guy ropes and wires.
When a hammer or other driving tool impacts against the end of a tent peg, pin or stake, particularly a metal stake, the top of the stake flattens, frequently spalling and forming a rough, outwardly extending flange, which usually has sharp edges and tooth-like gaps or recesses capable of injuring a person or animal coming into contact with the damaged flange, which generally results in torn or otherwise damaged clothing such as pants, hose, or shoes, as well as bodily injuries, particularly to legs and ankles. This damage occurs in both metal and wooden stakes or pegs. When wooden stakes are utilized, slivers of wood are created and project outwardly from the roughened end, which causes similar injuries to those aforementioned.